Cmdr. Ronald D. Nelson, U.S.N.R., Ret.

Ronald Duane Nelson passed away at the age of 76 on December 27, 2021. He was born on August 30, 1945, in Santa Monica, California to Rose Marie (Biffle) Singleton and Lincoln Wardell Nelson. He attended Compton High School where he was the star reporter on his school newspaper and a member of the varsity football team. He went on to earn degrees in political science from Compton College and a Bachelor of Arts from Whitter College where he was a member of the Whittier Fighting Poets football team. He also earned an MBA from the University of California, Dominguez Hills.

Ron was a proud member of the United States military, joining the ROTC while in High School. After graduation, Ron joined the Air Force and served from 1963 to 1967. In 1968, he joined the U.S. Naval Reserves as an Aviation Officer Candidate where he learned to fly jets and served as a communications officer on Midway Island during the Vietnam era. He achieved the rank of Commander before retiring from the Reserves in 1995. While serving in the military, Ron also had a civilian job working for Merck, Sharpe & Dohme.

Ron had many hobbies. He loved movies, particularly military movies and documentaries, sci-fi, action, and adventure films. Ron was an avid reader. He enjoyed doing Shorin Ryu karate, photography and traveling.

Ron also loved music of all kinds, especially live music, but his favorite was country music. He was very active as a member and dance instructor for the Go West! Country Dancers of Waukesha, Wisconsin. It was at the end of 1993 while he was working as the Dance Pro for The Country Club that he met his wife, Tina. Ron and Tina embarked on a nine-year adventure, teaching country line and partner dancing all over Wisconsin and Northern Illinois. He was most proud of having the opportunity to dance onstage with Sawyer Brown at Waukesha Co. Fair with Go West! and teaching the featured dance at Wisconsin State Fair's World's Largest Line Dance several years in a row. He also worked as a stage manager for country star K.C. Williams on his tour of Germany.

Ron was an event planner, assisting Mader's in booking bands and providing security and stage management during Milwaukee's RiverSplash! festival and Wisconsin State Fair. In addition, he booked many bands in venues around southeastern Wisconsin. Ron went on to manage, book and promote his wife Tina's blues band.

In addition, Ron was an entrepreneur, model and actor. He appeared on various brochures, in local TV commercials, industrial and product videos. He appeared in the movie Mr. 3000 as an extra playing the part of a sports reporter in a scene with Angela Bassett. Ron also had a speaking part playing the role of the judge in the music video "What About" by Sparkle.

Ron is survived by his wife, Tina Michels Nelson, sons Duane M. Nelson and Brian A. Nelson, brother Kevin C. Singleton, cousins Sandra Johnson and Brenda Carter, nieces Kourtney Goulet (David), Ingrid Singleton, Madelyn Jahnke Randall and Nancy Drew, sister-in-law Tammy Jahnke, mother-in-law Marilyn Standfield, two great-nephews and a great-niece and his many friends.

He was preceded in death by his mother Rose Marie Singleton, father Lincoln Wardell Nelson, step-father Charles Singleton, grandparents, uncles and aunts, cousins Mike and Tony, and a cat, Razzle.

Ron will be honored with a military funeral at 11:00 a.m. on February 1, 2022, at Southern Wisconsin Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Union Grove, WI. A celebration of Ron's life is being planned for later this year. In lieu of flowers please make a donation in Ron's name to The Association For Frontotemporal Dementia